Horse control



Jan. 1, 1946. P. MCAULIFFE 2,392,053

HORSE- CONTROL Filed Dec. 11, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I nventar Biz-bah M fizo l f e Jan. 1, 1946.

P. MCAULIFFE 2,392,053

HORSE CONTROL Filed Dec. 11, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor By 2mm Patented Jan. 1, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HORSE CONTROL Patrick McAuliflfe, New York, N. Y.

Application December 11, 1942, Serial No. 468,740

1 Claim.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in controlling horses and more particularly horses that have a tendency to run away. The principal object of the present invention is to provide appliances for use in conjunction with working horses whereby the reins are automatically pulled in the event the horse makes an effort to run wild.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to the reader of the following description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a fragmentary side elevational view showing the improved horse control applied.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the reins operator.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals designate like parts, it can be seen in Figure 1, that numeral 5 denotes a horse, while numeral 6 denotes a wagon. On the wagon 6 is a unit generally referred to by numeral 1 for automatically controlling a pair of supplemental reins 8. The parts designated 9, l and I2 constitute a horse blinding unit forming no part of the present invention and which need merely be identified herein. Numeral l3 denotes the usual manually operated reins.

The automatic reins control is clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3 and consists of a case M having a shaft l disposed longitudinally therethrou-gh and through its end walls l6. I! for rotation therein. One end of this shaft I5 has sleeved thereon a compression spring l8 while the other end has a hand crank l9.

The shaft l5 carries a disk 20 and a ratchet wheel 2| and rods 22 bridge the disk 20 and ratchet wheel 2| to form a reel rotatable about said shaft l5 and on which the reins 8 can wind being fastened, as at 8' to one of the rods 22.

A pair of coiled springs 23, 23 each has one end anchored as at 24 to the disk 20 or the ratchet Wheel 2| and its opposite end anchored as at 25 to the corresponding end portion of the shaft l5.

Numeral 26 denotes a dog for dogging the ratchet wheel 2| and which is pivotally mounted on one end wall of the case l4 with a rod 21 extending therefrom and through an opening 28 in the top of the case M where it is provided with a knob 29 whereby it can be easily grasped and manipulated to disengage the dog 26 from said ratchet wheel 2|.

Obviously, as shown in Figure 2, a plate 30 on the shaft l5 having clutch teeth 3| between itself and the end wall afford means whereby the shaft I5 is normally held against rotation. The plate 30 has a diametrical hub slot 32 therein receiving a cross pin 33 in the shaft l5 and the compression spring 3 bears against the plate 30 to yieldingly maintain the clutch teeth 3| ened.

To condition the described appliance for operation, the springs 23 are wound up by rotating the shaft I5, through the medium of the crank l9, counter-clockwise, as viewed in Figure 3. Durin this operation, the dog 26 holds the ratchet wheel 2|, and hence the reel of which said wheel 2| forms a part, against rotation with said shaft l5. As the shaft [5 is thus rotated, the plate 30 is caused to similarly rotate, through the slot and pin connection 32, 33, the clutch teeth 3| camming said plate 30 in opposition to the compression spring l8 laterally so that the teeth on the plate 30 ratchet over the teeth of the end Wall H to permit the plate 30 to rotate. When the springs 23 are fully wound, the clutch teeth 3| hold the shaft 5 against rotation clockwise and the springs 23 wound. The supplemental reins 8 are normally loose and unwound. If the horse 5 should start to run away, the driver may cause the supplemental reins 8 to be wound up by the appliance so as to exert a sharp, strong pull thereon tending to check the horse. This may be accomplished by merely pulling on the rod 28 to disengage the dog 26 from the ratchet wheel 2|, whereupon, the springs 23 will unwind to cause the reel, of which said ratchet wheel 2| forms a part, to revolve counter-clockwise and wind up the supplemental reins 8 on the rods 22 of said reel.

While the foregoing specification sets forth the invention in specific terms, it is to be understood that numerous changes in the shape, size and ma terials may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

Having described the invention, what is claimed 'asnew is:

Apparatus for controlling horses comprising a case adapted to be mounted on a horse-drawn vehicle and comprising end walls, a shaft extending through said case and journallcd in said end walls for rotation therein, said shaft having a hand crank on one end thereof for rotating the same, a disc rotatable on said shaft adjacent one end wall of the case, a ratchet wheel rotatable on said shaft adjacent the other end wall of said case, rods extending between said disc and wheel and forming therewith a reel, a pair of reins fixed to one of said rods for winding around the other rods and being slidably extended through said case, a pair of convolute springs connected to said shaft and to said disc and wheel, respectively, for winding by rotation of the shaft in one direction and unwinding to rotate the reel, a releasable ratchet in said case for dogging said wheel to restrain the reel against rotation, and coacting devices on said shaft and one of said end walls, respectively, for preventing said shaft from rotating in a direction to unwind said springs.

PATRICK MCAULIFFE. 

